Media release
Posted
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Sponsored by: County Administrative Office
Scoggins Valley Park at Hagg Lake to Re-open Wednesday
With the Scoggins Creek Fire approaching full containment, Washington County officials plan to re-open Scoggins Valley Park at Hagg Lake at dawn Wednesday, September 24. The park had been closed since September 19 due to the Scoggins Creek Fire that had engulfed just over 200 acres of privately owned forest land.
State officials plan to monitor conditions frequently throughout the remainder of fire season.
"We are thankful to our neighbors throughout the Hagg Lake area who were affected by this fire and to the patrons of Scoggins Valley Park for their patience throughout this ordeal," said Todd Winter, park superintendent. "We owe a deep debt of gratitude to all the first-responders and their home and supporting agencies. The bravery, professionalism and commitment demonstrated throughout this incident has been tremendous."
The Scoggins Creek Fire drew an immediate response from the Gaston Rural Fire District, Cornelius Fire, Forest Grove Fire and Rescue, Hillsboro Fire and Rescue, Oregon Department of Forestry, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, Washington County Sheriff's Office, MetroWest Ambulance and the Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency. Support also came from the American Red Cross, Clean Water Services, Gaston School District, Hillsboro Water Department, the Joint Water Commission, Stimson Lumber, Tualatin Valley Irrigation District, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Washington County Fire Defense Board, Washington County Animal Services, Washington County Emergency Management, Land Use and Transportation and Public Health.
With help from the Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry and the Governor's Office, command of the incident transitioned to state incident management teams directing fire suppression operations by state wildland fire fighters from throughout Oregon.
Coordination of this multi-agency effort came from the emergency operations centers that activated at Washington County and at the cities of Cornelius, Forest Grove and Gaston. The federal and state agencies supporting the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center also contributed to the effort.
Created by Scoggins Dam in 1975, Hagg Lake was designed as a reservoir for drinking, agricultural and commercial uses. Through a cooperative agreement with the lake's owner, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Washington County operates Scoggins Valley Park as a site for boating, fishing and other recreational uses.
Contacts:
Philip Bransford
Communications Officer
Washington County Administrative Office
503-846-8685
[email protected]
Communications Officer
Washington County Administrative Office
503-846-8685
[email protected]